Author's Note: Hey I'm REALLY SORRY for not putting this chapter up sooner. I moved last Saturday and everything was stored in boxes and had to be organized, blah, blah, blah... Now I'm moved in and settled and finally found my floppy disk that holds my stories (missing for four days) I can happily post this chapter! Yes I use floppy disks to hold my stories... only so I can upload them at net cafes since I have no net at home...

ANYWAY... sorry for the wait oh and I think the chickens were starting to do bad things...

Thanks for your reviews! They were cool! I look forward to them every time (who doesn't, unless they get flamed). Now I shall torture the characters some more! Moohahahaha!

I'll shut up now! Enjoy!

Jak pounced on Torn with claws ready to kill. Torn was knocked to the ground as his left arm bounced against the pavement. Torn howled in agony as his shattered left arm was protesting against the rough treatment. Jak could feel Torn's life force, he could sense the current pain. He could sense the man's hidden darkness, issues from his past that had been buried for years. He could sense Torn's anger and resentment.

He hated it, it somehow mirrored his own. He hated his own darkness, forever taunting him. Jak raised his clawed hand to strike the man.

"Damn I wish I had my knife" Torn cursed upon seeing the opened hand, "Jak come to your senses man!"

Wait a second... what the hell am I doing?

"I don't know what the hell got into you but we got no time for this crap!" Torn snapped, "That bastard is on the loose! So get the hell off me!"

You have let it consume you to the point of turning you bitter and angry and drive everyone away by making you do things you are not aware of until the last moment...

The familiar unknown voice echoed the same words in his mind. Jak realized what he was doing and fought to regain control of his overwhelming dark emotions. Jak moved away from Torn finally the dark power leaving his physical self for good. Jak fell backwards as his blind eyes stared directly in font of him in fear. Torn moved away a bit holding his arm, both panting. Jak was stunned just how carried away he'd gotten, he had no self-control, he just gave into his hatred, the Dark Eco, and stopped fighting. He thought that was the right thing to do but now he realized it wasn't.

No wonder they tried to stop me back in Spargus, Jak thought, I must of been out of my mind...

He finally got his power under control, now that most of it was used in the fight with the Metal Head. Torn sat back up cursing as he went cradling his swollen arm. Jak tried to regain his breath and took a moment to reconnect with his light powers. Once his second vision was in place, Jak struggled to his feet and went over to help Torn to his feet..

Torn eyed the man suspiciously and Jak sensed this.

You'll be a fool if you ignore the biggest threat of them all...

Jak understood the last part of the riddle. It was referring to himself...

"Sorry" Jak gasped, "I don't know what the hell happened"

Torn didn't reply for a moment. Jak was beginning to think Torn didn't trust him any longer until the soldier spoke.

"I don't know how you can see again or how you killed that Metal Head but you saved my ass out here today. I'm just sorry I didn't figure sooner out Rygar was the leader of the gang" Torn muttered

"But I- I almost killed you" Jak blurred out

"Make sure you don't do that again!" Torn snapped, "We have enough psychos around as is! We need a clear head on this one and there is no one else I can count on right now. So stop your piddle party and help me up!"

Jak's face hardened before he stood up, grabbed Torn's good arm and hoisted him to his feet. Torn bent a bit weak from the attack and three days of starvation and thirst. Quietly Jak pulled the man's good right arm over his shoulder and aided him towards the Warp Gate.

"What do you know about him?" Jak asked, "About Rygar?"

"He's an asshole" Torn said frankly, "Right up there with the Baron, or should I say right up the Baron's-"

Torn's last bit of sentence was cut off as they stepped through the Warp Gate.

The elevator ascended to the palace room. Jak could immediately sense the presence of the others. He could feel their attention and excitement as he and Torn stepped off the platform and into the room. Someone approached them and he knew it was Ashelin as she began talking to Torn.

Samos came in after guiding them both to the stairs. Jak let Torn into their care and diminished as conversation and mild excitement filled the air. From the chattering Jak could pick that Samos was doing something to heal Torn's broken arm and Ashelin was saying something about the city and HQ.

Silently Jak sat down, tired from the last mission. The injection, the fight and the long journey back here took a toll on his body. He pushed his body to the limits knowing that his months of doing nothing in his blindness led to lower fitness levels and smaller muscular structure.

But that was the least of his problems.

Jak put his head in his hands and gave a sigh. He couldn't believe how weak he'd became. Just giving into to the raging darkness within him was just plain irresponsible and stupid. Jak knew that he knew better. Jak knew he did this before to the point that it was normal to feel the anger until the Precursors showed him differently but this time it was more serious, this time it almost cost a life. The injection was more intense and more concentrated to what he was use to experiencing. The balance was out of whack and he just dealt with the darkness like he had always done.

It seems the consequences of his actions cost him big. First the injection then almost killing Torn...

He was weak.

Maybe he wasn't so dependant anymore but he was still vulnerable. This scared him more than anything. Jak realized that it wasn't the blindness that caused this but himself. After all he'd accomplished and been through he was still making the same mistakes, he was still giving the same bravado and never realizing his own faults, trying to deny them.

You have let it consume you to the point of turning you bitter and angry and drive everyone away by making you do things you are not aware of until the last moment...

"I am weak..." Jak murmured

"Why the long face cherry? You did what you wanted" Sig's voice came from in front of him, somewhat a bit harsh

Jak sighed and shook his head, "I almost killed him..."

"You're crying over spilt milk?"

Jak huffed, "I wish"

"Not a stray bullet?"

"My gun was disabled"

Sig didn't push it further but Jak could feel the stiffness and hardness from their last encounter. That made Jak more ashamed of himself. He let his anger consume him to the point of threatening Sig and insulting everyone else. Jak knew that they were right in keeping him here in the first place after the Eco injection but if he hadn't come when he did Torn could be metal meat.

"I didn't mean anything I said earlier" Jak murmured, "I was being an ass"

"Well you're lucky I know you better than that or I wouldn't hesitate to shoot you on the spot" Sig said gruffly

Jak nodded before he faced the floor again. His thoughts of failure playing in his head. Jak's mind remembered what Rygar had said to him...

You have a chance of releasing them but also a chance of killing them. If you decided wrongly then I'm afraid their blood is on your hands...

It was true, only by the decisions he'd made he could save both Ashelin and Torn but at the cost of his own life and his mentality.

I want to play a game...

I don't know what he up to but you go to be careful Jak. He's a known strategist, like Torn, and plans to the final detail...

Jak somehow knew that Rygar wasn't the playful type, the old Krimzon Guard was doing this for a reason but why? Why did this man go to all this trouble? Did Jak do something to him? To his family? His friends? What?

He use to be second in command to my father before Errol. Their meetings were always in private and behind closed doors. After a few years Rygar retired and I never heard from him again...

Or did this extend to something much more deeper and sinister that Jak could ever know?

The bottom line remains, Jak still had to go out there and do what Rygar wanted. He was bound to this task by the assurance and safe return of the remaining two missing friends. The ones more closer to his heart. The two that put up a lot of crap from him during his isolation with his blindness. He couldn't turn his back on them, after all they been through, after what he put them through, he owed them something.

Jak wished they were here, then he could apologize, especially to Keira. He realized too late, he hoped it wasn't truly too late to apologize...

"Jak can see?" Jak was brought out of his thoughts by Torn's voice, "Yeah right, pull the other one"

"That's what I thought too until goldenboy over here proved it" Jak heard Sig's voice

Jak turned his head to find the group assembled at the base of the stairs just a few meters away from him. To his surprise he could feel Green Eco residue. Jak surmised that Samos fixed Torn's shattered arm the best be could.

"Alright prove it" Torn demanded

Jak blinked realizing Torn just asked him something. Jak stood up and walked over feeling a little light headed but it cleared as soon as he reached the group. Jak didn't want to do this or explain anything. It felt awkward and embarrassing. No one would believe the whole truth so why should he bother explaining it? Plus he wasn't in the mood at the moment.

"We got more important things to do" Jak pointed out before walking past, towards the elevator

"Where the hell do you think you're going?" Torn demanded

"Relax" Jak said coolly as he stepped onto the elevator platform, "Can't I take a leak?"

With that Jak disappeared from view.

Jak's heels dug into the sand. The sand gave away a bit but was solid enough to keep grip. Jak made his way down towards the Light Eco vent. His Light Eco energies were low and with the balance, unbalanced he could repeat the same mistake and end up killing someone. Jak suddenly became weary, even more afraid, with his dark side then he had ever been.

Jak stepped into the vent feeling the vibrancy and power that shone out of the hole. Jak felt renewed again, his darkness faded away for the mean time but with the power boost it received it wont be long before the old dark emotions would be back.

"Hello Jak," a familiar voice greeted

"Huh? Solrin?" Jak asked surprised

"Ahh I see you're around Spargus"

"Wha- what are you doing here?" Jak asked. The old man seemed to have a habit of surprising him..

"Teaching," Solrin replied, "There are many who need to be taught but there are others that still need to learn"

"Braille?"

"I am a teacher of many things. I see you are recharging your Light Powers. I see you have been practicing your abilities, have you saved your friend, erh Daxter, yet?"

Jak shook his head sadly, "No not yet"

"I sense you are frustrated and sad," Solrin replied, "Why? Didn't you received your vision like you wanted? You are a warrior and now with vision you are what you are again"

"It's not that..." Jak trailed not wanting to explain the situation

Jak felt a hand on his chest and was startled by the touch.

"I feel the same anger and bitterness from you when I first met you. I see you are using your powers as only a tool," then Solrin asked forcefully, "Do you have a thick skull? Have you learnt nothing?"

Jak shrugged, "I guess not. I only wanted to see again..."

"And that is exactly what I have given you," Solrin snapped, "Another tool! You can never understand the full potential of your light powers and so you will be forever burdened with the balance"

"Huh?"

"Must I repeat everything to you?" Solrin growled, "How can I teach you anything if you don't learn from the lessons I give you, hmmm?"

"It's not like I want to go back to school or anything" Jak muttered

"You must learn or you will suffer and pay the ultimate price" Solrin threatened, "I do not waste my breath"

"What do you mean?" Jak accused, "Are you threatening me?"

"It is not I that is the threat," Solrin replied wisely, "Your understanding will effect the way you act, live and learn. If you don't understand what I tell you, you will suffer gravely"

Jak seemed to perk up at this point, "You mean what you're trying to tell me will effect my life?"

"Oh yes," Solrin whispered, "I am telling you that you have a job to keep the balance. If not, as you've experienced, darkness will consume you and the consequences can cost you a life"

Jak blinked in surprise, "Wait, how did you-?"

Solrin's hand moved from his chest to his shoulder, "But you don't have to live in consistency with the balance. You must understand the power that rages within and you must understand that they are not tools that you have been given but a spiritual gift"

"Spiritual gift?"

Solrin's voice became a harsh whisper, "Don't fight against what you've been given but work with it. Learn that intensions mean everything. Darkness may rule your heart my young friend but light will always brighten a dark room"

"Ok, that quote made more sense than what you said" Jak muttered

"It is easier to fight an enemy you can see than an enemy you don't," Solrin continued, "Its easier to give in than fight"

"I'm tired of fighting" Jak murmured

"You are only human, you're not a god. You cannot save everyone or everything. You are merely a pawn in an eternal intergalactic war that occurred a millennia ago beyond this planet's understanding. Let others help you, let your powers help you and you will see that everything will make sense"

"How do you know these things?" Jak asked

"I was once like you Jak," Solrin replied softly

"Like me?" Jak frowned, "What do you mean?"

"I am now a teacher, a teacher of many things"

"You were a warrior? Is that what you mean?" Jak urged

"To understand others you must understand yourself. I must go, I am late for a lesson. I shall hope to meet you again"

"Wait! That's not an answer!" Jak snapped

Jak felt Solrin walk away. Jak followed.

"How come when I ask something about you, you don't give me a straight answer? Or why you run away?" Jak growled, "How can you give me all this stuff then-"

Jak was interrupted by a crunch. Jak paused and frowned realizing his boot had stepped on something. In his sensory vision he picked up on some natural elements underneath his shoe. Jak looked up again to find Solrin was out of his sensory range. Instead Jak focused on what he had trodden on. He lifted his foot off it and bent down to feel what he had stepped on.

It was leathery. On further investigation it had lenses on it and Jak immediately knew they were goggles. Like his own. Jak picked it up and the weight was light and the shape was small.

Daxter!

Jak's heart leaped as he held the small object. Jak knew he just stepped on the goggle eye pieces and just hoped that Daxter wouldn't chuck any fits or anything if they were ever reunited. He felt there was something connected behind the broken lenses. Jak felt for it and pulled it out. It was a piece of paper. Jak couldn't read it, his secondary vision didn't aid him in that and it wasn't in braille, not that would help. Jak looked around trying to detect the old Krimzon soldier. He had to be here somewhere, he knew Jak was going to come out here to replenish his Light Eco power. As if he knew Jak's every move...

Jak gripped the small goggle cap and clenched his teeth. If that man did anything to Daxter...

Jak had one last feel around broadening his field of 'vision' but he came up with nothing. Alone Jak sighed before turning around and headed towards the Palace.

To be continued...

Sorry for the short chapter. Hmmm so a little reflection there for Jak. Perhaps his issues aren't caused but his blindness but by himself. How convenient that Solrin showed up on time to give him a little mysterious advice.

I hope Daxter is ok... where ever he is. To be honest I miss the poor little guy! How can we ever have a 'fic without him? Come on Jak! Pull yourself together and save him or I'll make sure you go deaf as well! Oh wait I am the author I can make him pull together... Ah rats I'm blabbering again.

Come on review! I know you want to! Ok, so I don't really know but with my Light Eco powers I can sense you want to! Oh wait I don't have Light Eco powers...